A railway vehicle is typically installed with a pneumatic-hydraulic converter that converts air pressure supplied from an air pressure source into oil pressure such that a hydraulic brake is activated by the oil pressure, which is supplied thereto from the pneumatic-hydraulic converter via a hydraulic pipe.
In relation to this point, JPH08-226469 and JPH08-226471, published by the Japan Patent Office in 1996, disclose a hydraulic brake device for a railway vehicle in which a hydraulic cylinder presses a brake pad against a frictional surface of a rotary body such as a brake rotor in accordance with a supplied oil pressure.
Meanwhile, by installing a pneumatic brake that is activated by air pressure supplied from an air pressure source in the railway vehicle, it may be possible to omit the pneumatic-hydraulic converter and the hydraulic pipe.
In relation to this point, JPH11-193835, published by the Japan Patent Office in 1999, discloses an air brake device for a railway vehicle in which a pneumatic actuator presses a brake pad against a frictional surface of a rotary body when compressed air is supplied to an air chamber of the pneumatic actuator. FIG. 6 of this conventional technique further discloses an air brake device employing a lever.